Thank You For Drinking
by MaybeWolf
Summary: Five perspectives are just shards of the night of his life, the night that he can't remember. RORI.


**Hey, so this is my entry for Darkseid Alex's Rori One Shot comp. The rules were that it needed to be over 5,000 words…but I kind of needed more finish the tale. Sorry guys haha. If you're even remotely a Rori fan go ahead and create something for the comp too! **

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_**I'll stand by your side until the sun turns the sky  
All the colors I see in your eyes  
I'll never need to see the sun again  
There's enough light in your eyes to light up our little world**_

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**[Robbie's POV: 9:52pm Saturday]**

_I linger beneath an open window. The wind sweeps through and wraps itself around me, nipping at my skin and weaving a chill into my bones. Running my fingers over the bottle in my hand, I debate whether or not I should lift it to my lips again. With every caress, my troubles seem to sink further into the distance. A creak in the distance drags my thoughts away from the escape in my hands and towards the doorway._

"_Are you okay in here?" The words stumble through the air without any of the fanfare one would expect of a savior. But her presence pries me away from the depths of my most darkened thoughts. She's sunlight, the only thing capable of burning through my unrelenting midnight._

"_Not really." I mumble, retreating to the false sanctuary of my bottle once again. Footsteps caress the floor. They're not retreating toward the hallway to rejoin the other sunny people though. For some reason Tori is treading further into the gloom and coming towards me. I lift my gaze towards her, noticing the way crooked waves of her brunette hair seem to dance as the wind catches them._

"_Me either. Can I have some of that?" She swirls on the spot before lowering herself to the ground and sitting next to me. I twist towards her, my tongue hanging limply as I thrust the bottle towards her. Far from the beam of light I had expected, Tori simply casts a shadow within the darkness. Her make up is shaded rivers creeping down her cheeks and her eyes are reddened reminders of a night gone awry. On her face it's foreign, it's wrong._

"_So, what's your story stranger?" I jolt my depression free and force it to the outer reaches of my thoughts. Dragging a smile from a disused part of my mind, I try to hold myself together and look at least half capable of fixing somebody else's problems. I rest my elbows on my knees and await her reply. We've never really spent a lot of time alone so the conversation never really flows smoothly._

"_It's…I wish I was as OK with this break up as everybody thinks I am. It fucking hurts though." Tori's voice cracks and wavers, just barely supporting the weight of her words. When curse word burns her tongue, Tori's eyes blow wide open and the earth seems to cease rotation. Tori's fingers quickly seal her mouth, a crimson tone burning her cheeks. In spite of the situation, our laughter rattles through the air. It's hollow and broken, but it keeps the misery at bay._

"_Potty mouth." I tease, once our laughter fades into history. They're not comforting words, but the only crutch I've ever had was humor. Tori's lips curl in defiance, but there's a flicker within her eyes. It's a faint source of light that beckons us towards hope. I don't know what drew Tori into this room, but I know she never expected me to say the right thing. _

"_Am not." There's rebellion in her words, but all that reaches my ears is the melody of recovery. I turn to her with laughter lingering on my lips, before I notice the weariness within her eyes. My mirth drowns in the wake of her watery eyes; my tongue flails below the surface. None of the comforting words I'm reaching out for pull me from the depths and silence plunges over us. I'm falling further into the crushing black and it's not until waves of Tori's hair crash over my shoulders the surface comes rushing back. Her head comes to rest in the crook of my neck and suddenly I'm not fighting the current anymore. _

"_Sorry about Steven." With my head above water, I push something sympathetic into the air. Tori shudders with the mention of her ex and I screw my eyes shut. This is why girls never come near me. Conversations with Robbie Shapiro are nothing but jokes stitched together by awkward silences. It's when seriousness passes my lips that the threads come loose._

"_Thanks Robbie. Sorry out Cat." Tori's words creep between us with a whimper. I force myself not to dwell on my memories of confessing my love to Cat. Tori's just barely holding herself together, if I come apart at the seams I know she won't be far behind. _

"_S'ok." I mumble quickly, trying not to let the persistent thoughts of Cat into my mind. She was pleasant enough about it, but it's hard to take her fluorescent voice as anything but malignant when it's stomping your heart into the ground. Tori sits upright, but her arms linger over my knee casually. There's understanding within her eyes. We're just two shards from the same blood soaked mirror. I guess that's why we fit together so well._

"_You know what?" She announces suddenly, leaning against the wall behind us. Her words are beams of light, burning through the waking nightmares that my mind continues to conjure._

"_What?" My words fall flatly toward the ground, the optimism I had intended to fill them with never quite arriving. To my relief, Tori's undeterred. The undying positivity within her seemingly blotting out the sadness that had threatening to engulf her only moments ago._

"_We're not going to let them ruin us. We're going to have an awesome night together!" Her words burst forth, each letter a light blaring through the darkness and leading me back into the light. My eyes aren't used to the brightness, but in the distance I see Tori. She's waiting for me and smiling widely._

"_Me and you?" I ask, deftly avoiding the optimism that's lead me into darkness one too many times. I can feel the shadows trying to drag me back into their midst before Tori's fingers slip over my hand and I find the light more blinding than ever. She's grinning widely and I feel the claws of positivity sink into my skin, dragging me towards her frame of mind._

"_Yep!" With the conclusion of her words, her fingers deftly slip through mine as I watch her take a long swig from the bottle I had snatched from Keenan Thompson's liquor cabinet. With light comes the potential for fire and Tori's brilliant glow shines as blindingly as a thousand suns. Wrapping my fingers around the fuel to our demise, I lift the liquid to my lips, fully aware that this night could go down in flames._

_Then again, a phoenix rises from ashes, doesn't it?_

**[Robbie's POV: 10:44am Sunday]**

I feel like somebody is driving an axe through my skull.

My limps are splayed out around me, and the unfamiliar ceiling above me is spinning. Taking a tentative gaze around the room, I realize that I'm laying somewhere in the middle of a warzone. The sun's rays slink through the windows and seem to taunt me with their blinding radiance. Beck is laying among the rubble of that I'm fairly certain used to be Keenan Thompson's couch and in the background I can hear Andre rummaging through the fridge.

"Crazy night, huh." Beck comments, realizing that I've drifted somewhere close to consciousness. Even though I can't remember a thing past leaving Keenan's room with Tori, I find myself nodding in agreement. I sift through my mind, trying to grasp any kind of memory from last night. The only reminder I manage to wrap my fingers around is the axe wedged in my skull.

"No chiz." Andre states, swirling on the spot and throwing his palms into the air. I get the impression that he recalls a lot more about my night than I do. The low rumble of Beck's laughter drags him into my suspicions as well. My eyebrows draw together and a question forms on my lips as my eyes dart between the two of them.

"I can't even remember what happened last night." I mumble, fishing for answers and burying my head in my hands. I regret speaking as soon as the words tumble off my tongue. It feels as if my attacker has dropped their axe and is now brandishing a gun inside of my skull. Worse still, several other intruders step inside of my skull, their machine gun laughter joining a chorus of misery. Peering through my fingers, Beck and Andre are both openly smirking in my direction. A gleam shared between their eyes suggests I've forgotten a rather key piece of information.

"Really?" Beck covers the grin on his face behind his fingers, though the amusement dancing in his eyes is enough to quicken my heartbeat. Running my fingers through my hair, I try to extract something from my head. Anything that could arrest my fears would be greatly appreciated. Unfortunately, the only thing that comes free is more uncertainty.

"Oh god…" The words rumble through my lips as I toss my head backwards and peer up at the roof. Sealing my eyes, I can't shake the feeling that the heavens are about to come tumbling down on me. Taking a deep breath, I realize that the gunfire skittering through my skull is the closest thing to peace I'll have today. I'm wrenched out of my bullet riddled haven by the sound of footsteps padding towards me. My hangover amplifies them into something closer to an earthquake.

"Relax, it's not exactly a bad thing…for you." I open my eyes to the sight of Beck looming over me. Though his lips convey amusement, something like concern flashes through his eyes. My heart stutters in my chest as I wonder if I did something incredibly stupid last night. I really hope I didn't attempt to confess my love to Cat again for the hundredth time.

"What happened?" My words just barely stumble past the barbs of hesitation in my throat. Lacing my fingers, I try to ignore the flittering of my heart. It's jumping around in my chest and stirring feelings of dread within me. Something stirs deep within my mind and I'm not sure if I should be dreading what's to come or anticipating it.

"Well…"

**[Beck's POV: 11:57pm Saturday]**

_The water swirls around Jade and I. We're a mess of tangled limbs and raging hormones. The steam from the hot tube swirls around us and I'm lost in the haze of my own personal heaven as Jade's fingers tangle through my hair. Time seems to spiral away from us. I'm not even sure how long I've been lost in her embrace._

"_Hey BecknJade…hows it goin' guys?" A familiar voice seeps into nirvana, reminding me that there's a world around us. The words bleed together, just barely separating enough to form a sentence. Jade's shoulders stiffen and she pulls away from our collective euphoria. Her emerald orbs fall on a swaying figure of Tori Vega. She's beside the hot tub and her brown locks are tangled and spiraling in every direction. I guess it's a visual reflection of the fractured state of her thoughts. She's just barely holding herself upright and I realize that since we returned to the hot tub, Tori found solace in the bottom of her bottle. _

"_Vega you're a mess. Go to bed." Even Jade takes mercy on the pathetic sight before us. Not that she's ever admitted it, but I don't think Jade hates Tori as much as she tells everybody. Draping my arm over her shoulder, I pull my girlfriend close to emphasize that Tori was interrupting something. I purse my lips as unfocused chocolate eyes peer back at us, like Tori's mind is struggling to process Jade's words._

"_Ooh! I know what you two are doing!" Tori chortles, her lips stretching into a wide grin. There's a musical tone in Tori's voice and I tighten my grip on Jade's shoulder. With every word I can feel the possibility of Jade striking up a friendship with Tori slipping further and further from reality. Stealing a glance at Jade, her eyebrows are set heavily against her emerald eyes. Swallowing thickly, I realize Jade holds nothing but bad intentions for the girl teetering at the side of the hot tub as of now._

"_No!" She shrieks, bringing a grimace to my face and a halt to Tori's movement. The drunken girls good mood evaporates and her bottom lip thrusts out into a pout. Comforting words brew on the tip of my tongue before another figure comes hurtling out of the darkness._

_Brown tendrils fly through the air as Tori tumbles through the air and lands in the hot tub. Jade's lips pull into a tight frown and a muscle within her lips twitches. I'm almost certain that once Tori's head emerges from the water Jade is going to force it below the surface again. The seconds cling together as Tori remains submerged beneath foamy depths. I'm leaning forward and fearing the worst when water erupts into the air and Tori leaps from the water in front of us._

"_Soorry." Screwing my eyes shut as a whimsical voice teeters into the air, I realize we're now dealing with two drunks. I follow the source of those words and a familiar figure comes into my line of vision. Robbie's just holding himself upright, his brain soaked in alcohol just as Tori's is. I raise my arm from Jade's shoulder, offering a slight wave to him as I wonder how they both managed to get so drunk._

"_That was awesome!" Tori's voice assaults my ears, taking on an annoying quality that reminds me of Trina more than anything. It instantly leads me to the conclusion that I prefer sober Tori to her drunken counterpart. Jade and I share a quick glance, evidently having come to the same decision if I'm reading her expression correctly. Robbie laughs happily in the background, all of his concerns washed away with his ability to walk straight._

"_Cannonball!" Robbie shrieks suddenly, leaping into the air. A few seconds later, he comes crashing through the surface, clothes and all. A huff of annoyance passes through Jade's lips as Robbie emerges from the water in much the same way as Tori. Their drunken laughter titters through the air. It's a harmony that only tugs on the strings of Jade's urge to kill. Relaxing my neck and allowing my head to fall backwards and peering up at the sky, I wonder how my little slice of heaven could be transformed into a stretch of hell so quickly._

"_We're leaving." Jade announces, prying my attention away from the stars and drawing my gaze back to her. She's already dragging herself out of the hot tub and reaching for one of my discarded shirts. Casting a suspicious eye towards Robbie and Tori, I notice the distance between them evaporating as fast as my peace had. Tori's arms are loosely hanging over Robbie's shoulders and she's lost in his eyes. There's no doubt in my mind they've forgotten we were ever even here._

_Shaking my head as I haul my body out of the hot tub, I wonder how much the two of them will remember in the morning. Judging by the quality of Robbie's cannonball, I have to assume it won't be a lot. I've got a shirt half over my head when I hear Jade's loud gasp. Quickly yanking the shirt over my head, Jade's mortified expression comes into view. Her eyes have blown wide open and her jaw hangs somewhere near the floor. _

_As I turn toward the hot tub, I have more then an inkling of what caused her reaction. __Within what used to be Jade's and my heaven, Robbie and Tori seem to have taken our place.__ Tori's fingers are tangled in Robbie's curls and he's holding onto her tightly. The space between then has vanished, and as I watch them writhe in the water, I'm having trouble wrapping my tongue around words of any sort. You can prepare yourself for an event, but seeing it play out before your eyes is something totally different._

"_Let's go, soups gone off." Jade comments, disgust curling her lips as she watches Robbie and Tori. Before a word can pass my lips, her fingers encircle my wrist and she's dragging me away from the simmering scene unfolding before us. Shaking my head as we trudge towards Keenen's house, I can't believe what my eyes have seen these past few minutes. Taking one last lingering gaze behind me, Tori is sitting in Robbie's lap and they're lost in the same clouds Jade and I had called home just moments ago._

**[Robbie's POV: Sunday 10:53am] **

"So yeah, that's what I saw." Beck finishes, punctuating his story with a shrug. His lips curl into a knowing smile as I gape in his direction. The thought of Tori willingly kissing me seems like a distant memory or an amazing dream. I wrack my mind, attempting to drag forth memories of the way her lips felt, the way she smelt. Flashes of last night filter into my mind, but Tori's absent from them all. I guess the alcohol that had soaked my mind last night eroded all of the details.

"You're kidding right?" The disbelief in my voice hides the hope bubbling beneath the surface of my words. Beck regards me for a moment before shaking his head and shrugging his shoulders once again. Andre takes a seat on the couch next to him, suspicion clouding his usually bright features. I can't shake the feeling that he thinks I took advantage of Tori and am faking ignorance. If he could see the battlefield inside my head right now, I'm pretty sure those suspicions would fade. From what I can tell, I wasn't capable of taking advantage of a thing last night.

"Man, this is crazy." I mumble, as they continue to shrug and act as though my whole world hasn't been flipped upside down. My brain is throbbing even more painfully than before. The soldiers within my mind have ditched their arms and are now lobbing grenades at one another. I slam my eyes shut and retreat into the relative safety of my hands once again.

"That's not even the end of it all." Andre states, wrenching me from safety and hurling me between gunfire once again. His eyes glaze over and I realize another piece of the puzzle of my evening's misadventures is about to be shoved into place. I lace my fingers together and brace myself for a tale that could potentially make those grenades seem like kisses. I really hope I didn't do anything horrible last night.

**[Andre's POV: Saturday 12:45am]**

_Man, tonight has been insane. _

_I've long since given up hope of organizing this night into anything but total chaos. The only thing that's put me even slightly at ease is seeing Keenan stumbling through the crowd with his arm around a guy in a panda bear suit. He's all smiles and kind words for all of the guests. Hopefully it means that I'm off the hook for everything getting so out of control._

_I'm wandering through the heart of the party and towards the door with a drink in my hand. I'm not the biggest fan of Orange Soda, but what are you going to do when somebody thrusts it into your hand with such enthusiasm? Wanting to clear my head away from the heaving masses inside, I amble through the garden and past the hot tub. Beck and Jade were in there before, but I guess they got sick of playing soup or whatever it is Jade does in hot water. I chuckle to myself as I dodge an empty Vodka bottle on the ground, that girl is all kinds of messed up._

_A dizzy sounding giggle titters around a bush and into my ears. It wraps itself around my curiosity and draws me to its source. It sounds familiar, though I'm not sure who's it could be as I round the bush. Shoving my hands into my pockets, I'm woefully unprepared for the mass of tangled limbs that confronts me._

"_Hey Andre!" Tori squeals, forcing the words through her laughter as somebody's fingers flitter over her stomach and tickle her body. I force a smile to my lips, trying to organize the question brewing on my tongue into something casual. My mind goes blank as the guy hovering above Tori turns around and greets me with a lopsided smile. I'd know those glasses and that unruly mop of hair anywhere…_

"_Hey girl…Robbie." I pluck out a greeting that sounds as effervescent as ever; like I'm not concerned Robbie is lingering over my best friend like a heavy fog. It's not that I have a problem with Robbie. It's that Tori seems to have the worst possible taste in guys. I can't shake my suspicions that Tori could bring the Devil out in him_

"_Wassup?" Robbie slurs, peering up at me through bleary eyes. His glasses are hanging loosely on the bridge of his nose as he rolls over and flops onto the ground next to Tori. My brows knit together and my eyes narrow, I'm fairly certain that neither of them is at all sober. Tori and Robbie are all sprawled limbs and lopsided smiles as they lay before me. Their eyes are unfocused as though they're both oblivious to anything but the most shallow of thoughts._

"_Er, not much. You…guys?" My voice creaks and wavers as I address them. Having only had a few beers earlier, I feel a little lost speaking to my two oh-so-impaired friends. I drag my fingers through my hair and push a stray dreadlock from my face. I can't believe that I'm the awkward one in a conversation that involves Robbie. No sooner have the words left my lips and they both dissolve into a fit of laughter at my feet, leaving me feeling even more uncomfortable. I finally place the feeling, it's not that they're drunk. It's that I'm the third wheel._

"_Never better." Robbie titters, lifting his head from the ground and trying to focus on me. I want to be annoyed, but even through his alcohol clouded eyes I can see genuine happiness in his eyes. It's the kind that's always buried beneath Rex's dominance at school and I'd be a terrible friend to break the spell he's under. I shift my gaze to Tori, and there's a brightness in her eyes as well. It's one that I don't think I've seen in a long time, not even with Steven. I get the impression that alcohol or not, they could still be this happy together._

"_Hey, so you guys should probably get to be bed before all of the guest rooms get taken." I state suddenly, dragging the conversation into a completely different subject. It's not that I really want to let them loose in a bedroom alone, but I just saw Tori suppress a yawn. She's gripping Robbie's arm tightly, so I don't think I could pry them apart even if I wanted to. Besides, putting them both in a bedroom is probably better than taking my chances and allowing them to pass out together in the garden._

"_But I'm not sleepy." Robbie whines, all of the petulance of a three year old seeping into his voice. Tori's eyes flitter between the both of us, a look of despair filtering through her intoxication. I suppress a smile as her eyebrows upturn and a crease of concern appears on her forehead. _

"_I wanna go to bed." Tori whimpers, looking like a child being told to chose between Disneyland and Christmas. Her eyes are widened and her bottom lip juts out into a pout. Even in its mangled state, I recognize it as an expression that's bent me to her will more times than I'd care to count. I'm halfway through a plan to convince her to leave when I notice Robbie's expression change. __The petulance evaporates from his face and suddenly he's nodding in__agreement._

"_Let's go then! I call top bunk." There's giddiness in his voice that I can't quite place. I'm not sure if it's a devious kind of excitement that should concern me or if it's the childish enthusiasm that I've seen from him in the past. Pursing my lips as Robbie tugs a grinning Tori to her feet, I regard his movements carefully. There's a killer instinct missing from his fingers, they never linger for longer than needed. The suspicion within me scatters as Robbie's cheeks ignite with the nervousness of somebody incapable of deceiving a girl in this state._

_Before another thought can pass through my mind, Robbie and Tori lift themselves off the ground and bound away in the direction of Keenan's house. Their limbs have been drained of grace, but they're all laughter and shared smiles as I lag behind them. Though Tori and Robbie are disappearing into the night, I notice their finger intertwine cautiously. It's not the kind of gesture you'd share with somebody in the midst of a one night stand. It's the type of gesture that lingers between two people well past the next morning's sunrise._

**[Robbie's POV: 11:17am Sunday morning]**

"Then what happened?" I shriek, instantly regretting it as something sharp digs into my skull. Andre snaps back from his recollections and shrugs his shoulders in much the same way Beck had. I'm positively frantic and ready to jump out of my skin when a lazy smile drifts onto Beck's lips. It's like I've got one foot off the edge and I'm about to plummet into a swirling vortex of madness.

"Sorry man, I don't know. I was all set to follow you and then Keeko showed up. You know how it is." Andre's words sail into the air with an apologetic tone, but the gleam in his eyes is anything but repentant. My lips thin into an unhappy line. I'm not at all sure about how I'm going to find out what happened without being drawn into the most awkward conversation of all time with Tori.

I'm teetering in the middle of thought when the thunder of footsteps pummels my eardrums. I screw my eyes shut and I'm silently wishing death upon their owner. The rumbling ceases, and when I lift my eyelids Sinjin is hovering over me. There's a look of triumph within his crazed eyes and a tale to tell linger on his lips. His blonde hair is even more wild than usual, with twigs sticking out of it and leaves sprinkled throughout. Dirt clings to his shirt and something stirs within my mind.

"I know what happened." A chill runs up my spine as Sinjin's voice slithers through the air and into my ears. He's a good friend, but there's something undeniably creepy about him. It's no wonder that most people tend to either ignore him or openly avoid him. I lean back against the wall draw my knees up against my chest, imploring him to continue. Anxiousness wells up within me and I drum my fingers against my legs nervously.

"Ok, so it went something like this…"

**[Sinjin's POV: 1:07am Sunday]**

_I linger within the shadows, a camcorder clasped within my fingers. The bass from music downstairs caresses the floorboards beneath me. A part of me wants to slip into the light and mingle with the guests, but I came here to film. I came here to gather information and that's what I'll do. It's lonely work, but for the good of my collection, it's something I'll always find time to do._

"_Hey, this room looks empty!" A melodious voice rolls through the air. I'm sure it's what an angel would sound like. She's not a goddess like my beloved Jade, but she'll do for tonight. I slip the camcorder onto the tripod before me and make sure the room is in clear view through the open crack in the closet door. _

"_Yeah, lets go in!" Another voice rings out. The sound harasses my ears and reminds me of nails scraping against a blackboard. For one that I call my friend, Robbie Shapiro's voice is putrid. I note that his words slur together and he's obviously drunk though. Forgivable I suppose. Peering over at the viewfinder, I'm shocked to see his fingers linked with Tori's. Shaking my head, I wonder why she'd possibly bother with Robbie when an awesome guy such as myself is single. Must be that she knows I'll drop her as soon as Jade recognizes my brilliance._

_Their footsteps thunder across the floor as they stumble toward the bed. The stench of alcohol trails them and their erratic movements are easily explained. A smirk hitches to my lips; this is going to be a good one. Truthfully, I've been waiting for Tori to fall off her perch and join the faceless ranks of the imperfect since she arrived at Hollywood Arts. The two figures tumble onto the bed before me amid laughter and a shared embrace. Like all those in the past they're too lost in their embrace to notice me. They're too wrapped up in their own selfish desires to consider mine._

"_What's that red thing?" Tori states suddenly, an air of curiosity mingling with the lingering effects of alcohol in her voice. My heart leaps into my mouth as I glance over at the viewfinder and see her pointing right at the lens. Robbie's rearranges his uncoordinated limbs into a seated position where he can see what Tori does. His impaired movements buy me just enough time to panic. Since when do drunk people notice these sorts of things?_

"_It looks like…" Robbie's eyebrows drag over his eyes and even through the darkness I can see the blazing anger within his eyes. I hiss a curse word under my breath, regretting the time last year that I had bragged to him about my collection. His features had contorted into disgust then, but it's rage the distorts his formerly blissful features as he stomps towards me. _

"_Sinjin, get the fuck out." His words hurtle viciously through the wooden door, as if shining a light on my presence. Before I have the chance to shuffle into the shadows, Robbie wrenches the closet and drags me through it. His fingers clench the collar of my shirt and he's pulling me towards an open window, his eyebrows resting heavily against his rage filled eyes. I'd never before associated Robbie with physical might, but as I plummet into the bushes outside I reassess my previous assumptions about him._

_Voices drift through the window above me as I lay within the remains of what was once a thriving bush. Lifting my limbs, I take stock of the damage to my body. A few cuts and bruises, but noting that could be considered a serious injury. I peer upwards at the still open window above me, a smirk creeping over my lips as I hear their voices cease. I know that Robbie wouldn't have had enough time to remove my camera._

_There's hope for my collection yet._

**[Robbie's POV: 11:24am Sunday]**

"You're really creepy kid. Please get out of my house." Keenan states, pointing at the door he had just walked through. When Sinjin's eyes scatter towards the stairs, I realize he's probably just itching to retrieve his camera. The blood in my veins begins to boil over and before my body can protest, I'm leaping into action. Grabbing Sinjin's already tattered shirt tightly, I wrestle him toward the door and send him sprawling onto the lawn. When I turn back, several pairs of eyes are staring at me in astonishment. Rolling my shoulders, I linger near the stairs.

"I…am so sorry Mr. Thompson!" Andre regains his composure enough to face Keenen and begin his pleas for mercy. His voice takes on a whining quality that pierces the air and sounds like shotgun blasts in my ears. Wincing, I notice Keenan peering at him casually. I guess after years of dealing with his friend Kel, he's gotten used to that kind of tone.

"It's fine, just clean up before you go? I'm going to go, but I'll be back later." Keenan's answer passes through the air with a shrug of his shoulders trailing after it. Andre nods his head enthusiastically and it's the fastest movement I've seen from any of us since we regained consciousness. Keenan's lips curve into a smile and he turns on his heel, looking entirely fine with the resolution. As the gentle melody of his whistling lilts through the air, I shake my head. I guess when you're that rich; a ruined house isn't much to worry about.

"I'll take upstairs!" I announce as Keenan shuts the door behind him. The words bounce around my skull painfully as Beck and Andre once again direct that same irritatingly knowledgeable smirk in my direction. Rolling my eyes, I twirl on the spot and throw one last glance in their direction before ambling up the stairs. With every step, my brain seems to hit the side of my skull at one hundred miles an hour. It doesn't deter me though; I want to make sure that any kind of tape from last night doesn't find its way into Sinjin's hands. The possibility of watching it myself only briefly crosses my mind.

Taking the final step and peering into the upstairs hallway, I'm greeted by a sea of doors. I cautiously step forward, trying to drag memories of one specific door from the corners of my mind. Eventually I halt in front of one that stirs the most vague of memories. Taking a deep breath I clasp the handle in my fingers and roll my wrist to open it, silently praying it's the right one. Slowly stepping forward, more memories of last night hurtle before my eyes. This is definitely the place. I remember drinking here to kick off the night, it's strange we would end up back here. Dragging my eyes over the room, I notice a lump within the twisted sheets. Swallowing nervously, I'd recognize those curves anywhere.

My heart leaps in my chest as Tori rolls onto her back and thrusts her arms into the air. My thoughts drift to last night and I wonder how much she remembers. It's not until I notice two brown orbs watching me that I tumble back into reality. My tongue flails uselessly, failing to wrap around words of any kind as I blush a deep crimson. The last thing I need is for her to think I've been standing her watching her sleep like a total creep.

"I just got…I haven't been…I'm…crap." The words skitter from my lips with little rhyme or reason. I hang my head limply, trying to hide behind the curls tumbling over my forehead and wishing I hadn't recently got a haircut when it fails. I'm tumbling into a downward spiral of shame when Tori's laughter reaches down and lifts me back into the room. Peering up at the source of the gentle melody, I notice that she's sitting up and there's a slight smile on her lips. A jacket that I remember wearing last night rests over her shoulders, partially disguised by her crooked waves of hair.

"I know. I heard you come in." She answers, an uncharacteristic flush seeping onto her cheeks. My lips curve into a slight grin, the familiarity between us draining the awkwardness from this moment. I flatten my palms and drum them against my thighs for a moment, uncertain of how to phrase my next words.

"What do you remember about last night?" My question hangs heavily between us. Tori's eyebrows raise slightly, the implications behind my words not slipping past her. Shuffling over slightly, she pats the bed next to her, indicating that I should sit down next to her.

"It's a little fuzzy, but I do remember the end of the night." When her lips spread into a smile, I can't shake the hope blooming within me. I really hope that smile's source is a memory of me. I lower myself cautiously onto the bed next to her, careful to leave distance between us.

**[Tori's POV: 1:15am Sunday]**

_Robbie's shoulders jump up and down as he sucks in deep breaths of oxygen. Through the fog of intoxication, I notice the flash of white as a jittering smile hitches to his lips. He's lingering at the frame of the window he just tossed Sinjin through. Robbie's spindly fingers flitter before him nervously, never quite settling in one place. I blow an unruly wisp away from my face and analyze the boy before me. Settling on my elbows, I realize that the only thing that's changed between us is my feelings. He's still the same rattling cage of bones, seemingly just barely being held together by his skin._

_I catch my bottom lip between my teeth, memories of his lips caressing my own flooding back to the forefront of my mind. Modesty trails slightly behind my returning sobriety as I notice the crimson ignition on my cheeks. Robbie's eye blow wide open as he notices the mutinous composition my fingers are drumming into the bed. Thoughts that tell me this is a bad idea seem so far away. They slide through my fingers and the only thing that seems solid is the boy standing before me._

_Robbie's feet shuffle forth slowly, hesitation weighing down his limbs. Time around us seems to linger in place as he lowers himself on the bed next to me. I pull myself into a sitting position, coming face to face with Robbie. The moonlight dances through the branches of the tree outside, casting long shadows over his face. We're only inches away, our noses almost brushing against each other. When we're this close, I can see every imperfection that he tries to hide. When we're this close, I can see all of the insecurities that he wishes weren't there. When we're this close, I finally realize that none of that even matters._

_My mutinous fingers strike again, gripping his collar and pulling him towards me. Any space that had lingered between us becomes a memory as I press my lips to his. I tangle my fingers through his hair, enjoying the lack of fluidity in his movements. It might seem strange to say, but his unsure lips and fumbling hands leave me feeling more exhilarated than any Casanova in training could hope for._

_The real world seems to slide away in a blur as Robbie's tongue skates across my lips. Our lips collide again and it's like nothing I've ever felt. Robbie's hands fumble over my shoulders, nervously flittering all over but never settling in one spot. Taking control again, I draw him ever closer and tangling my hands within his curls with renewed vigor. He's all eagerness and inexperience, while I'm the steady hand that keeps us from flying into a brick wall. As the passion between us builds and our kiss deepens, my hands begin to roam away from his hair._

_My fingers skate along his jeans and towards his zipper. Admittedly, they're fumbled movements. I'd barely ever even been this far with my last boyfriend, let alone this far with a friend. I could blame the alcohol, but truthfully it's mostly Robbie that's ignited something within me. When my fingers pop the button in Robbie's Jeans, his spine goes rigid and he tears himself away from me. He's lingering near me, but all of the lust has left his eyes. He's peering at me with a combination of guilt and concern. My lips gape as I wonder what it is that I've done wrong. I'm pretty sure that boys are supposed to like this sort of thing._

"_We…I can't do that to you Tori." Robbie mumbles, the bitterness of defeat lingering within his voice. With sadness seeping into his every movement, Robbie lifts himself off me and sits at the opposite end of the bed to me. My lip quivers and I wonder what's so wrong with me. First my boyfriend needs a whole other girlfriend, now Robbie doesn't want me. I try to hold them in, but tears begin to spill down my cheeks._

"_Why not?" My voice fails me pathetically and if it wasn't for the warmth of his arms enveloping me, I'd wonder if Robbie had even heard me. My mind is vortex of chaotic thoughts and emotions, most of which leave crimson slithers along my heart. He places his finger beneath my chin and tilts me in his direction. I feel my heart thump pathetically in my chest as I watch the boy that just put and abrupt end to our make out session smile sadly at me. I just can't get a read on him. First he leaps away from me and then I'm tightly pressed into his arms._

"_You're too good." He states simply, like the words aren't an enigma. I drag myself towards sobriety and rest my head in the crook of his neck. The way he stiffens uncomfortably with my movement only confounding me further. Robbie's a walking contradiction, his actions mirroring the schizophrenic nature of his words._

"_What does that even mean?" I mumble into his shoulder, sinking further into feelings of inadequacy and uselessness. My stomach is in knots and I'm not even sure why. I feel nauseous and sick, like something's terribly wrong. Yet with his arms around me, I've never been more comfortable in my life. Screwing my eyes shut, I realize that I'm as much of a contradiction as he is._

"_You're too beautiful and we're too drunk." He mumbles, like he's dragging the words from the deepest part of his moral compass. I brush a lock of hair away from my eyes and shuffle even closer to him. Between the alcohol and his fractured sentences, I only catch half of what he means. I just wish he'd stop speaking to me in riddles._

"_If I'm so beautiful, why did we stop?" As much as I try to hold it at bay, the insecurities flood into my voice. I just can't help it. There's only so much rejection one person can take over the course of one day. As he thinks, Robbie's fingers skate over my back. It's like he's trying to draw these malignant feelings from me through his finger tips._

"_Believe me, I didn't want to. I just…I we ever did anything like this, I'd want you to remember it in the morning." His reasoning catches me off guard and tears spring forth again. I want to blame it on the alcohol coursing through my system, but truthfully I'm almost sober at this point. Robbie's still swaying slightly, so I know he's not all there. I hope he's aware enough to take in my next words._

"_Will you do one thing for me?" I question, drawing my head from his chest and peering into his eyes. He's trying hard to focus on me, but there's a bleariness within his eyes that makes me wonder how much of this he's going to remember._

"_You know I will." He states, not taking even a second to contemplate my request. My lips curve into a smile and I place my fingers over his cheeks. There's panic within Robbie's eyes as my lips brush against his. I pour all of the passion within me into the briefest caress of our lips before pulling away from him again._

"_If I remember that kiss tomorrow morning, then no more excuses." The words simmer on my tongue and my lips tingle as they slip into the air. I peer up at him through my eyelashes and try to make my words as memorable as possible. If this memory is going to shatter with sleep, I think it might be within Robbie mind and not mine. He nods slightly, the power of speech seemingly leaving him with my lips after our last kiss. Clumsily, he slips from my arms and tumbles into what could loosely be defined as a standing position._

"_Goodnight Tori." He states, the corners of his lips quirking into a smile. There's a twinkle within his eye that shines even through the darkness as he slips quietly through the door. I lay down on my back and stare at the ceiling, I'm alone but I guess it doesn't really feel like it. I'm only waiting for the sunrise. Memories of our shared night flooding through my mind and all of the darkness within me seems to wither away. It seems so surreal looking back on it, but it's amazing what one shared moment and two rejections can spark._

**[Robbie's POV: 11:30am Sunday]**

I'm speechless, my tongue lies uselessly at the bottom of my mouth.

As each word passes Tori's lips, I feel more details of our time together slip forth from the shadows of my mind. I've had three other people say they saw us together, but until now it never seemed so vivid. It never felt so real. Tori's peering back at me. Her makeup is blurred and her hair is flying wildly around her face, but I don't think she's ever looked more beautiful to me. Her eyebrows upturn in concern as I continue to sit in a stunned silence. My heart skips a beat in anticipation as her lips part.

"I remember." Two simple words conjure a world before my eyes. Her husky voice drags me back to last night. I remember the moans that passed her lips in the hot tub, the vibrations of her stomach as I tickled her and our shared laughter as we ran from Andre. My hand acts on its own as I recall her parting words to me last night.

My fingers stroke her cheek and she's not pulling away, she's leaning into my touch. Courage swells within me and I'm leaning towards her, the space between us disintegrating. My heart pummels my ribcage as Tori's lips meet my own. She tastes like strawberries and the faint taste of vodka lingers on her lips. Her fingers trail over my neck, fluttering across the skin and never really finding a home before becoming ensnared within my hair. I feel her smile against my lips as she pulls me on top of her. I don't even know why…

I'm the luckiest guy in the world.

* * *

**Well there we go. A bit of a tour de force in terms of POV switches, timelines and events. Review it and the let judges know you thought it was awesome! …or crap. You know whatever comes to mind. I ended it with the intention of maybe adding to it later, I mean Cat and Jade haven't spoken on the issue yet so who knows, maybe I'll to a sequel down the line.**

**The lyrics about 10,000 year ago at the start of the fic were from a song called "This Flesh A Tomb" by Atreyu if anybody is wondering. **


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